I don't know enough specifics about UK "welfare spending" programs, or how assistance is decided or provided. But if you're saying recipients get free council housing with satellite tv, plus some kind of cash stipend used to buy smokes....then yeah, you probably have room to cut, or restructure...without ending your NHS.
When it comes to "welfare" or "entitlements", or what's considered a national Public Good --- you and Lewk should hash out where basic medical care belongs. Conservative Brits seem to like and support NHS for public health, as well as public education and public transportation, as proper and productive uses for public tax dollars. Conservative Americans (in general) don't.
Lewk seems to support the idea of rationing healthcare by income and/or employment; buying private insurance and/or using employer subsidies (with corporate tax credits); letting our insurance industry control access/delivery/affordability/quality of care, and calling that free-market-enterprise....or-something. Would you agree with that approach, Rand?
I'd like to see two conservatives between the pond duke that out with each other, and leave "liberals" out of it.